Politics

Democratic Presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg worshiped at Greenleaf Christian Church, a majority black church in Goldsboro, on Sunday.

Plans to overhaul North Carolina's Medicaid program are on an indefinite hold — another casualty of the budget impasse. 

A Republican-led investigation concluded Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper improperly handled negotiations over a mitigation fund related to the Atlantic Coast Pipeline project.

And, on the heels of legislative redistricting, a five-term state senator has announced his retirement. 

Rob Schofield of NC Policy Watch and Becki Gray of the John Locke Foundation give their takes — from the left and the right — on what's behind the week's political news. 

This week’s impeachment hearings featured bombshell testimony, but is it reliable? Gordon Sondland, the U.S. Ambassador to the European Union, testified Wednesday and confirmed a quid pro quo with Ukrainian leaders —  a meeting with President Donald Trump in exchange for investigations into the president’s political rivals.

An investigation launched by the Republican-controlled General Assembly has concluded that Gov. Roy Cooper improperly handled negotiations over a $57.8 million fund related to the Atlantic Coast Pipeline project.

Rufus Edmisten knows something about impeachment hearings.

In the summer of 1973, while working as a staffer to U.S. Senator Sam Ervin, it was Edmisten who hand-delivered a subpoena to the White House. He called it a footnote in American history.

Following his role in the Watergate hearings, Edmisten served as North Carolina Attorney General, and later Secretary of State. Edmisten was also defeated during a bruising 1984 gubernatorial campaign. Edmisten discusses these topics, as well as his passion for gardening, on the latest episode of the WUNCPolitics Podcast.

North Carolina's General Assembly approved a replacement congressional map. 

Newly elected Republican Congressman Dan Bishop tweeted out the name of the person he believes is the whistleblower at the center of the ongoing impeachment inquiry. 

And state lawmakers adjourned an extra-long legislative session without resolving a budget impasse.  

Rob Schofield of NC Policy Watch — on the left —and Mitch Kokai of the John Locke Foundation— on the right — weigh in on the week's political news. 

Republican Dan Forest wants to be promoted to governor of North Carolina.  

Forest, in his second-term as lieutenant governor, says  Democratic incumbent Roy Cooper is too liberal.

On this edition of the WUNC Politics Podcast, Forest gives his take on Medicaid expansion, why he believes a significant expansion of charter schools would benefit public education, and why he's happy to have a primary opponent for 2020. 

A state budget standoff is now in its fifth month. While legislators returned to Raleigh Wednesday following a brief hiatus, a resolution to the fiscal fight is not on their agenda.

The most powerful politician in North Carolina was accused of misusing campaign funds this week.

But Phil Berger's staff says this is much ado about nothing, and that the Republican from Rockingham County has twice received approval.

Mitch Kokai, of the John Locke Foundation, and Rob Schofield, of NC Policy Watch, review whether or not what Berger did should be illegal. And they also provide thoughts on the latest layer of drama within the UNC System.

Legislators met this week to tackle the task of redrawing congressional maps. The first meeting determined Republicans want to use the maps created for the advocacy group Common Cause North Carolina, while Democrats want to start from scratch. A three-judge panel ruled last week that the gerrymandered districts be redrawn in time for the 2020 election.

A top contender for the Democratic presidential nomination made a campaign stop in Raleigh last night.

U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren energized a capacity crowd at Broughton High School with an unabashedly populist message.

Lawmakers in the North Carolina General Assembly have begun redrawing congressional districts again. 

Republican U.S. Rep. Mark Walker is in his third term representing what is currently known as the 6th District. The boundaries have already shifted several times since he first took office. 

Walker talks about the frustrations of constant redistricting, why he joined a protest against the impeachment inquiry process, and why he's pushing to let college athletes get paid.